Home workshop appliance repair
Repair small and bench-sized appliances from a garage workshop, with drop-off or pick-up.
- A$1k-5k
- Side hustle
- From home
- Licence or permit needed
Estimates for a small start in Australia, not guarantees.
What it is
A garage or shed-based repair bench where you fix smaller appliances such as microwaves, vacuums, kettles, coffee machines and washing machine parts. Customers drop items off or you collect them.
Your first three steps
- Check your council's rules on home-based businesses, including customer visits and noise
- Set up a safe bench with a test meter, tools and a parts supplier account, and register an ABN
- Advertise on local community pages and offer pick-up for a few suburbs to win your first repairs
Who pays
Local households, landlords and small businesses such as cafes and offices with machines to keep running.
How it makes money
A quote or fixed fee per repair, plus parts. A quick-turnaround service keeps customers coming back.
Skills that help
- Patience with diagnostics
- Basic soldering and electrical testing
- Record-keeping and organisation
- Friendly communication
Watch out for
- Council approval may be needed to run a business from home, so check with your local council
- Electrical licensing and testing rules differ by state, so check with your state's licensing body
- Public liability insurance, as well as cover for customers' items while in your care
- Safe storage of faulty appliances and responsible disposal of e-waste
- Be clear about quotes and what happens if a repair is not worth doing
Deep research report · Australia
Everything you need to start: home workshop appliance repair
Researched with live web search for Australia: real startup prices, the licences and rules, what others charge, a break-even example, how to find your first customers and a 30-day launch plan. With sources.
- Startup costs with real prices
- Licences, registration and rules
- Pricing: what others charge
- Break-even example
- Finding your first customers
- 30-day launch plan
- Risks and how to reduce them
Questions people ask
How much does it cost to start a home appliance repair workshop?
Startup costs are typically estimated at around $1,000 to $5,000, depending on the tools and testing equipment you need and how much of your garage or shed is already set up. Insurance is another cost to allow for.
How much can a home appliance repair business make?
Monthly revenue is typically estimated at around $600 to $3,000, depending on the number of repairs, the items you fix and your local demand. That is revenue, not profit. You could start at around 8 hours a week or more.
What rules should I check before repairing appliances from home?
Check with your local council whether you need approval to run a business from home, and check electrical licensing and testing rules with your state licensing body. Also check public liability cover, cover for customers' items, and safe storage and disposal of e-waste.
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